East Coast Park clean-up initiative bags municipal award

Around June 2020, a perfect storm of the monsoon season and a shortage of cleaners due to the Covid-19 pandemic hit East Coast Park, resulting in rubbish covering the shoreline.

- Lee Li Ying

Dismayed by the pollution, local marine enthusiast Samantha Thian, 26, started the movement #East Coast BeachPlan to rally Singaporeans to clean up the rubbish at the coastal park.

Co-lead of the initiative Yasser Amin, 26, said he was taken aback by the amount of rubbish when he first took part in a beach clean-up in August 2020.

"It's quite shocking. But when you see trash, you realise that human activities have such an impact on environments," said Mr Yasser.

Since the initiative began, about 2,000 volunteers have helped to clear more than 20,000kg of rubbish from the park and beach at East Coast Park.